Wonder Wheel

WONDER WHEEL iss a big surprise. After reading several sour reviews, I wasn't expecting much but Kate Winslet is terrific, the story is quite good, and the look of the film (luscious cinematography by Vittorio Storaro and production design by the always underrated Santo Loquasto) is fascinating.

Story has Winslet unhappily married (to Jim Belushi) and working in a clam house on Coney Island in the 1950s. She meets a lifeguard (Justin Timberlake) and embarks on a doomed love affair with him just as Belushi's daughter (Juno Temple) from a previous marriage returns after her marriage to a gangster has failed. It's sort of a Blanche du Bois meets Eugene O'Neill plot with a twist of the Sopranos.

Everyone is good but Winslet certainly steals the show. The 1950s Coney Island is something to see, and Winslet's house, practically under the giant Wonder Wheel, is awash is garish lights from the ride. Scenes move from orange to blue to red hues. Quite fascinating. Oh, and Winslet has a strange son from a previous marriage. For me this is Allen's best since BLUE JASMINE.

It's such a treat to see good actors actually getting to act in long, uncut scenes and without the camera whipping around and edited into 10-second info-bytes. The soundtrack includes a terrific number by the Mills Brothers I don't think I've ever heard before: "Coney Island Washboard."

Kate Winslet is outstanding, Jim Belushi and Juno Temple are very good, and Justin Timberlake is better than I expected. Great film from a great American filmmaker: Woody Allen.

I liked it. Its not a perfect film but surely not as bad as many people make it out to be. And i judge the art of the artist and not the artist himself. Its a strong drama which just like Woody Allen's "Blue Jasmine" centers around a woman who is trapped in an unhappy life and on the verge of a breakdown. Kate Winslet plays that woman wonderfully and gives one of her strongest performances in ages. Her voice, her expressions, everything was top notch and what the character needed. A very interesting turn. Jim Belushi also gives a very strong performance with many different facettes, its hard not to like him even though he is unlikeable in many ways. For Belushi it is new theretory as he is rather used to funny roles, while this one was rather a serious attempt. Juno Temple was fine but did not do anything outstanding. Justin Timberlake is the weak link of the film. Totally miscast. I really did not buy his performance at all. Him and the ending, which left too many open questions and strings, were the weaker parts of the film.Also some of the lighting was a bit off or even over the top. It surely is not Woody Allen's strongest film but one of his better of the decade. The whole look and feel of Corny Island of the 50s was pitch perfect as well.

In Coney Island, in the 50´s, the thirty-nine year-old waitress Ginny (Kate Winslet) is a former aspirant actress married with the carousel operator Humpty (Jim Belushi) in an unhappy marriage. She has a problematic son from her first marriage, the arsonist boy Richie. She is a frustrated woman that is having a love affair with the younger lifeguard Mickey (Justin Timberlake), who is an aspirant writer. When Humpty´s estranged daughter Carolina (Juno Temple) arrives in Coney Island seeking for shelter from her husband, who is a gangster, Humpty learns that Carolina has denounced him to the police and now he wants to kill her. Humpty lodges Carolina at home, affecting their lives.

"Wonder Wheel" is a dramatic unconventional romance by Woody Allen with a storyline of shattered dreams, unrequited love, jealousy and betrayal. The performance of Kate Winslet is top notch and Juno Temple, Jim Belushi and Justin Timberlake have also great performances. They all perform human characters very well developed. The film looks like a play, with few locations, but the cinematography is beautiful. The stylish soundtrack follows Woody Allen high-standard. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Roda Gigante" ("Ferris Wheel")

It's very stagey yes, but there's nothing wrong with that, in fact I think that adds to the drama. Excellent movie with a brilliant performance from Kate Winslet, ignore the critics and enjoy.

This is a fresh and brilliant story. I liked all the characters. Kate Winslet gives a brilliant performance as the story's main character. Wonderful film.